The End of the Story
by Quinni
Summary: Christian remembers...and attempts to rejoin...Satine...


**DISCLAIMER: Not mine...but i wish Ewan McGregor was : P...**

Just read it would you...and follow the prompts.

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"_The greatest thing you will ever do is just to love, and be loved in return."_

_The dwarf's yelling filled the hall. _

_Christian kept walking, his memory mercilessly replaying his painful ordeal at the hands of his Courtesan lover and her Patron. _

_Softly, behind him, he heard Satine's voice, singing the first lines of the song he had written for her and himself only, to remind them, as he said, that: _

"_No matter where they were, every time they sang it or whispered it or hummed it, they would always know that they loved each other."_

_Her voice strained to reach him, but it grew bolder and Christian felt his chest fill with a familiar sensation, but a scarce one of late: Hope._

_Turning around, he saw the only woman he had or ever would love, singing courageously and adamantly, risking her own life and his, just to fulfill the one truth she had; to know that even if she was dying, and her body belonged to another man, Christian loved her and she loved him in return._

One year later, Satine was long dead, and across the way at the Moulin Rouge, the show was going on.

Christian spent his days intoxicated, huddled in his room.

Harold Ziddler, the previous owner of the Moulin Rouge, had still not been returned the deeds to the Moulin Rouge, but the Duke faintly agreed to continue sponsoring the Productions performed there, they were extremely popular.

The Bohemian actors Christian had befriended a year earlier continued their attempts to convince Christian to write another play, his last one was still playing.

He refused, choosing instead to document all of his experiences at the Moulin Rouge, and more specifically, with Satine.

"_I am in love," she had lied once, "With a talented, handsome Duke."_

_The deception had been accidental on his part, but deception it was, and soon after he had explained it she had withdrawn her statement. But he did not give up._

"_I was silly. To think that you could fall in love with someone like me."_

_She had looked uncomfortable, but laughed quietly._

"_Yes, it was. I make men believe what they want to believe. I can never actually fall in love."_

_Fall she did though, and she fell hard. Christian was haunted by her words that night._

"_You're going to be bad for business I can tell…"_

Christian determined after that that he would visit the place where he had first kissed Satine; her Elephant Bedroom. Now occupied by the Courtesan Nini, Christian had not ventured there since the before Satine's death. Climbing cautiously to the top of the decorative structure, he made sure it was empty before he entered.

Within the chests and trunks were all of Satine's trinkets and jewelry, given to her by her many admirers. Christian sobbed as he saw the tiny bracelet he had given her, lying dormant below all the diamond necklaces and pearl earrings and the like. The cheap, but well intentioned bracelet had only three diamonds in it, all inferior in quality to the many others Satine had been given, but she had always told him she loved these best of all. Nini wore Satine's jewelry now, but she had not touched Christian's gift.

Wiping his eyes on his sleeve, Christian took a dusty bottle of perfume off the dresser in the corner, sniffing it; he recognised it as one Satine had worn. Breathing it in greedily, he undid the lid and poured the contents of the bottle down his throat. He felt the effects almost immediately. His throat burned, he vomited, his vision grew hazy and his insides were in agony but he did not stop. He reached for another bottle and consumed it also, and another, but at this time he became so ill he could no longer stand. Crawling on the floor as his vision failed and his stomach emptied itself once more, Christian collapsed. As he lost consciousness, he thought of his darling Satine and savoured the taste of her scent on his tongue.

_Christian pranced about the hotel room, flapping his arms about and yelling in an Argentinean accent as Satine and his Bohemian friends watched on amused._

"_Thankyou," he cried, as he mimed throwing money at an invisible woman, _

"_For curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love."_

_And as he pretended to jump out the window, Satine leaned forward and yelled for him to stop. Running over to where she sat, he leant over her, whispering in her ear as she enjoyed the simple joy of his breath on her face._

"_I'll love you," he whispered, "Until my dying day…"_

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Be a good chap/lass...review... 


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